Deaf West Theatre's Flowers For Algernon in English and ASL

Using a mix of deaf and hearing actors, Deaf West Theatre put their unique spin on Flowers for Algernon, the play based on the novel we all read in high school. Combining both signed and voiced theater, the ensemble brings new perspective to this touching, funny and thought-provoking play. Flowers for Algernon is the story of Charlie Gordon, a willing subject of an extraordinary experiment, and the strange interweaving of his life with Algernon, a mouse whose intelligence has been increased threefold by a daring new procedure. In a twist on the familiar plot, Charlie learns to celebrate his deaf identity and becomes a master of ASL, a "super-signer."

This is a fabulous production -- though this was a preview night and a few technical things were still getting ironed out, the acting was passionate and moving, as I've always found with DWT productions.

Let me begin by stating how much I love, appreciate and applaude the Deaf West Theatre group. I am usually mesmerized by the added layers of texture and nuance to their storytelling with the inclusion of ASL.
Maybe it was just the story itself,...continued

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About the Ticket Supplier: Deaf West Theatre

Deaf West Theatre, Inc., was founded in 1991 to directly improve and enrich the cultural lives of the 1.2 million deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who live in the Los Angeles area. DWT provides exposure and access to professional theatre, filling a void for deaf artists and audiences.

Serving the cultural, educational, social and employment needs of its constituents, DWT is an institution for the discovery and exploration of artists’ identities and stature as artists. Through the medium of Sign Language Theatre, a legacy of deaf culture is created, shared, and preserved.

In a bold effort to bridge the gap between deaf and hearing worlds, DWT creates new opportunities for artists and audiences to enjoy theatre. Educational outreach workshops serve the particular needs of area youth, providing a model for progressive arts education reform for school children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Presenting adaptations of classics, contemporary and original works, DWT is dedicated to the production of theatre of the highest artistic quality, which nurtures and promotes the talents of its actors, writers, directors and designers. DWT productions are presented in American Sign Language with simultaneous translation in English, providing for all an enhanced theatrical experience for all.